In a course of the production of metal components, in particular, of metal components subjected to high mechanical and thermal load, preliminary process heating is often necessary, so that the metal components can subsequently be provided, for example, with a coating. The heating of the metal components and the coating of these are carried over, as a rule, in a closed-off chamber, often in a vacuum chamber. After the treatment of the metal components, they have to be cooled, for which purpose it is appropriate simply to open the chamber and, thus, expose the metal components to the ambient temperature. As a result, however, an uncontrolled thermal shock is exerted on the metal components, and, because of the shock, it seems advisable to cool the components in the chamber with an inert cooling gas, often referred to as a quenching gas, by flooding the chamber with the inert cooling gas.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a method and treatment device for the cooling of highly heated metal components that overcomes the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices and methods of this general type and that achieves a uniform cooling of the entire metal component regardless of the configuration of the metal components.
With the foregoing and other objects in view, there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a method for cooling metal components highly heated in a chamber, including effecting a uniform cooling of an entire metal component, the metal component having regions each with a given mass, some of the regions having a larger mass than others of the regions, by providing housings around the regions with the relatively larger mass, and subjecting the regions to an inert cooling gas in a controlled manner to a differing extent based upon a size of each given mass, and individually subjecting each of the housings separately with the inert cooling gas.
To achieve its objectives, the invention provides a method for the cooling of metal components highly heated in a chamber, in which an inert cooling gas is introduced into the chamber having the highly heated metal components, and regions of the metal components are subjected in a controlled manner to the inert cooling gas to a differing extent according to the size of their mass such that a uniform cooling of the entire metal component takes place.
The term xe2x80x9cmetal componentsxe2x80x9d refers not only to straightforward metal components, but also to coated metal components, such as, for example, ceramic metal components.
An essential advantage of the method according to the invention is that, due to the controlled supply of inert cooling gas to the regions of the metal components according to mass concentration, a reduction of thermal stresses in the respective metal component is achieved during the cooling operation. Consequently, even components having a highly complex configuration with a widely varying mass distribution can be cooled relatively quickly, with avoidance of thermal stresses. As a result, a better utilization of treatment devices required for carrying out the method is also achieved. A further advantage is that, due to the controlled cooling of individual regions, overall, a uniform cooling of the entire metal component takes place. As a result, the method according to the invention can be integrated effectively and in a simple way into a comprehensive method that, for example, involves further heat treatment.
In carrying out the method according to the invention, the individual regions of the metal components to be treated can be subjected to the inert cooling gas to a differing extent in different ways. For example, it is possible, by more or fewer gas supply nozzles for the inert cooling gas to be mounted in a controlled manner in the vicinity of the individual regions of the metal components, and to subject these regions to the cooling gas to a differing extent. It is considered particularly advantageous, however, if the regions of the metal components with relatively large mass are provided with housings and the housings of regions with different mass are each individually subjected separately to the inert cooling gas. To be precise, such housings can be produced at relatively little outlay, particularly when they are used at the same time for holding the metal components in the chamber.
By the method according to the invention, metal components of widely varying configuration and different mass distribution can be cooled. In the case of metal components that are gas turbine blades, advantageously, the foot plate and head plate of the gas turbine blades are provided with housings, because these parts have a relatively large mass, as compared with the turbine blade leaf lying therebetween.
In accordance with a further mode of the invention, the method according to the invention affords the advantageous possibility of subjecting the metal components individually to the inert cooling gas on inner faces. Such application is additionally conducive to a uniform cooling of the component.
Furthermore, the invention proposes a treatment device for the cooling of metal components. The device has a chamber for receiving the metal components. The treatment device achieves uniform cooling of the metal components at relatively low outlay in terms of construction and manufacture.
With the objects of the invention in view, there is also provided a treatment device for cooling metal components, including a reservoir for holding an inert cooling gas, a chamber for receiving at least one metal component to be cooled, the metal component having regions each with a given mass, some of the regions having a larger mass than others of the regions, the chamber fluidically connected to the reservoir, the chamber having a housing for each of the regions with the larger mass, and each of the housing having at least one inlet orifice separately connected to the reservoir.
An essential advantage of the treatment device according to the invention is that the device can be manufactured in a relatively simple way because devices with a chamber that, as a rule, are already present, are merely to be provided additionally with housings for the metal components with connections of their inlet orifices.
In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, it is considered particularly advantageous if gas supply regulating devices are disposed between the reservoir and each of the at least one inlet orifice.
Other features that are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a method and treatment device for the cooling of highly heated metal components, it is, nevertheless, not intended to be limited to the details shown because various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.